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Is is trust-able .

Just to ask , are the shops at Sim Lim Square trust-able ?
I know that it is not advised to get electronics stuffs from there but i'm heading around that area tomorrow to get some shots of the streets. Also known for their cheap prices , are they really trust-able ?

Yes there are cases where the things are cheap but its original too . However there are cases where things are cheap but they are not original .I might be heading there to see what type of lenses i can get over there . Can anyone who is experienced tell me what to look out for when buying my lenses from there? Also , how do i know if the shop attendant is trying to chop me off my money ?

Re: Is is trust-able .

Know exactly what you want (manufacturer, model, make). Don't bother looking at anything else, especially when offered as "package deal". Check the various price lists here to get an idea about the current pricing. Have a look at the warranty terms & conditions for the lens you want to get (manufacturer website). Check the warranty card (and only accept the card!) to verify the warranty.
But to reduce all the stress: check the list of reputable shops. in SLS there's only OP I can recommend. Some people say Alan Photo is also ok but here it heavily depends on the sales guy whether he is serving you or conning you. Don't bother about 30..50 dollars more if you can get the lens from a reputable shop that will also help you afterwards if something is not working (7 days 1:1 exchange). Whoever has successfully cheated you will not know you afterwards.

Re: Is is trust-able .

Most of the so called reputable shops have websites and email addresses so you can get them to provide an e-quote before going down to the shop itself. This should give you a rough indication of what price to expect and prevent a situation whereby they overcharge.

Re: Is is trust-able .

it seems like TS is not local or very new to this place. SLS is good for electronic gadgets but camera stuffs, you'll get more bargain at Funan. there are a few shops there that are reputable and trust-able.

Re: Is is trust-able .

1) Check out the market prices by calling other camera shops that are not found in sim lim
2) Stick to your price and not give in to pressure tactics when you deal with the SLS shops
3) Do the usual check of the condition of the camera/lens
4) Warranty- make sure to distinguish the type of warranty

Re: Is is trust-able .

u just need to do a google search with keywords "sim lim complaint", u will see there are lots of complaints, news reports, etc on compliant on shops in Sim Lim. I read they just broke the records with the numbers of complaints recently.

Re: Is is trust-able .

Let's put things in perspective. From Sim Lim Square, it is less than a $4 taxi ride to reputable shops in Marina Sq, Peninsula and Funan centre. If you take a bus it's less than a $1. The shops in this area is cleaner, better and (sometimes) friendlier. Unless one want to 'experience' the excitement of the risk in shopping in the 'wild wild west' there's nothing to be gained - not even a t-shirt with 'I survived shopping in SLS'

An advise to newbies to SLS - go to the reputable shops recommended in these forums. They give you the best price and peace of mind. If you are a good bargainer and savvy shopper, you may get a few dollars cheaper in SLS, but then again, if you are that good, you won't be asking right?

Cheers....

Additional comments - I go to SLS for my IT stuff. The pricelist posted ensures me that the price is 'public' and I can compare with other shops. I also do my homework.

Re: Is is trust-able .

Actually if u dunno ur stuff u go anywhere also got chance to get ripped off. Big shops might sell u something very good price and all but u maybe dun need. But the main reason why I dun frequent SLS shops is caus of their ppl's attitude. Their "Ah Beng" style of customer service really abit too much lah. I rather pay abit more then having to take their ****. Anyway imagine if the product got problem and u bring back to them. God only knows wat kind of service u'll recieve then.

Sls for computer parts etc is ok, caus the price list so many, its so easy to find the cheapest deals as long as u know wat u're buying. And if the customer service bad, ppl will start a complain thread on HWZ forum and then its game over for them.

Re: Is is trust-able .

Originally Posted by gymak90

Know your stuff, means you should know the price range of thing you want to buy.

Not only the price range but also the model and possible earlier versions or similar models with change(s) in features. Example: Sigma 24-70. There are 3 models listed on Sigma website, each has different features and the price tags vary heavily. On top there is a 24-60 and 2 lenses of 28-70. If one doesn't know exactly the details it's easy to get fooled. Same goes for Canon 75-300, one comes with USM, the earlier version comes without. There is a 70-300 also. And so on ...

Re: Is is trust-able .

Thaaanks broooo ! I already went there . And the first thing that makes me realize that this place isnt safe for me to buy my gadgets from threre is when the salesperson tries to overcharge my for a bag .

Situation :

I went to this shop , and was looking for a bag . Then i saw this Nikon sling leather bag which is usually on the b and s section for only 50 bucks or so . You know how much this guy charged me ? he charged me 190bucks and tries to convince me the leather is made from Germany and stuffs . In my heart i was like , '' yeah you're right '' . Then i said i'd have a look around first to escape from his lure . Then he lowered down the price to 140 . Still is said i'' have a look around . He then lowered down the price till 90 . LOL . I said i wasn't interested and only bought a new camera strap . hahahaha .

Anyway bro , i'm using a d200 for weddings. Also i have a d70 as my back up body . Should i upgrade the d70 to a d2h or should i just be loyal to my d70 ? I've read the review and what tempts me to get the d2h is the features and the size of the LCD , way much bigger than the d70 . So which is recommended ?